An adroit mixture of everyday settings and extraordinary events.
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The world of business and finance gets skewered, as Bottom Liners tackles subjects such as foreign takeovers, office policies, getting a raise, and the fast-paced world of Wall Street.
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A wise woman was traveling in the mountains when she found a beautiful, rare sparkling stone in a stream. She was mesmerized by the stone’s beauty and put it in her bag for safe keeping.

The next day the wise woman met a traveler who looked hungry and down on his luck. The wise woman opened her bag to share her food and said the traveler could pick anything he wanted. The hungry traveler’s eyes got large as he saw the precious stone, and asked if he could have the stone instead. The woman agreed without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But it wasn’t long until the traveler came back to return the stone to the wise woman.

The traveler said, “I’ve been thinking… I know how valuable the stone is, but I want to give it back to you in hopes that you can give me something even more precious. Please give me whatever it is you have within you that enabled you to give me your most valuable possession.”

Here’s the way I see it: Pablo Picasso once said it best: “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”

Andrew Eichenblatt

Idea of the Week

How to Persuade Prospects to Say Yes

As social creatures, relationships and community have a tremendous influence on a person’s willingness to buy. Keep these six principles of social influence in mind when you’re looking to persuade prospects.

1. ReciprocationPeople say yes when they receive something first.

This is why stores give out free samples. Featured products get a sales lift as people feel obligated to reciprocate by purchasing the product. When a New Jersey waitress offered diners a free piece of chocolate, her tips went up by 3.3 percent, but when she returned and offered them a second (unexpected) chocolate, her tips rose by 21.3 percent!

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To delight your customers, include a small extra with your next printing piece or customize an accessory with a name or meaningful label.

2. LikingPeople say yes to those who are like them.

This may be as simple as a shared nationality or common hobbies, but it can be as nuanced as a salesperson mirroring the gestures, posture, or body language of a potential customer.

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Affirm your customers by highlighting similarities or lavishing authentic compliments, and you will see a measurable impact. Prospects want to feel you like them!

3. Social ProofPeople say yes when they believe others are saying yes.

For example, by merely labeling certain dishes “most popular menu items,” a restaurant in Beijing found these dishes sold 13-20 percent more frequently! When people believe others have responded similarly, a pending purchase seems more sensible.

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To activate this persuasive tactic, share glowing testimonials or data on the number of customers who have recently purchased.

4. ScarcityPeople say yes when supply is limited.

Because people have an aversion to missing out, they want more of something they might get less of. For example, automobile manufacturers who limit production of a new model are able to charge substantially higher rates.

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Employ scarcity by using time-limited offers or constrain buyers to “x” number of products and you will increase the worth of what you offer.

5. ConsistencyPeople say yes when they’ve taken small steps first.

Work towards personal alignment that will stimulate customers to follow through on new commitments.

Bitmojis are becoming a favorite way for companies to connect and communicate with their followers. A Bitmoji is essentially a personalized cartoon avatar of yourself. Once creating a bitmoji, your avatar will automatically be created with a variety of moods and stickers.

Bitmojis are specifically appealing to the millennial market, who already use them in everyday conversations. Bitmojis have made communication between users simultaneously more personal while still being extremely informal. A simple Bitmoji can help communication, ranging from a serious message to a hilarious response without having to type anything.

Bitmojis have become a key player in the social media marketing world, helping to increase brand awareness and build relationships with customers. Bitmojis can be used to add a fun and energetic face to a name, allowing you to connect with customers and prospects. They can also be a great way to grab attention and announce promos and contests.

To create your own Bitmoji, go to https://www.bitmoji.com/ or download the app on your smartphone. Follow the steps to create your avatar and share it across other social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, etc.). Bitmojis can also be used in print media, such as postcards, business cards, brochures, and much more.

If you’re looking for unique ways to add Bitmojis to your marketing piece, our creative team would love to help! Contact us today.

Event programs can be a memorable and informative addition to fundraisers, workshops, corporate celebrations, annual meetings, conferences, and much more.

Event programs can range from a simple one-sided handout to a multi-page booklet with speaker profiles, a schedule, maps, and other detailed information. Depending on the type of event, programs can also be used to generate revenue by selling advertising.

To extend the life of your program, consider including contact information, social media handles, color photos, background information, a helpful FAQ, a calendar of upcoming events, or web links to useful resources.

If you’d like help creating the perfect event program your recipients will enjoy, give us a call today. Our team of creative experts would love to help!

If you are a Netflix subscriber, here are a few tips to optimize your binge experience:

Be sure to create separate Netflix profiles for each user. Differing tastes can confuse your Netflix algorithm, and leave it trying to figure out if the person that just sat down is a fan of Stranger Things, My Little Pony, or both.

Set up a guest profile so when you have company over, their viewing habits don’t interfere with your recommendations. Also, consider setting up a temporary profile for special occasions like a “Christmas movies” account for the holiday season.

Download movies and shows to watch offline on your mobile device when traveling or without Wi-Fi.

Watch Netflix during off-peak hours (early morning or late at night) for better video quality. According to a Digital Trends report, Netflix video quality and speed improved significantly during hours when fewer people were logged in and watching.

Consider playing Netflix Roulette, which allows you to broaden your horizons when searching for something new to watch. You can choose a genre and a format (either movies or TV show) and even filter by actor, keywords, and director.

Share the binge-watching experience by using Rabbit, a group chat service that lets you and a group of friends simultaneously watch content online and chat about it in real time.

Add the Chrome extension IMDb Ratings for Netflix, which adds IMDb ratings for shows and movies in a pop-up in the right-hand corner of a thumbnail when you hover over a title.

Remove others from sharing your subscription and potentially changing your algorithm by going to My Account>Sign Out of All Devices.